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Basic Training: Composition 102: Part 2

In last month's "Basic Training," we looked at some of the basic vocabulary of composition, and how to give boring ordinary shots a little more pizzazz. In this second of two part articles on composition, we're going to take a look at some more advanced techniques, ways to start putting the things you learned together and also, ways of studying composition on your own.

Beyond the basics of composition are several very important tools that should be in the tool kit of every serious video producer.

We like it when things are framed. The line of the mat and the frame around your favorite images hanging on your wall are there for a reason.

When composing, look for natural frames, such as building arches, windows, doorways, or breaks in tree branches to create natural frames to shoot through.

Noon on a cloudless day is a terrible time to capture images. Harsh shadows make people's eye sockets into black holes; contrast is so strong that cameras have difficulty keeping the highlights and details.

If you can't choose when you shoot (morning and evening are best, as well as overcast days -- in these cases you have the sky acting like a giant soft box for you -- choose where you shoot. Move your subjects under an awning (be careful that you don't back light your subject) or into shade, or maybe even indoors.

It might seem counter-intuitive to want things to be out of focus, but often you do. Using "selective depth of field," a videographer can focus the audience's attention on one particular part of the frame, leaving some elements out of focus. Due to the nature of camera lenses, this works best using your telephoto lenses or zoomed all the way in on your built-in camcorder zoom lens. This can be used to isolate a person in a crowded street, for example. If it's too bright out to use a wide aperture, you can add neutral density (ND) filters to the front of your camera. These act like sunglasses and reduce the amount of light getting in to the chip, allowing you to shoot with a wider f-stop.

Now that you have some techniques under your belt, let's take a look at how to put them all together. Many videographers and directors of photography will look at a scene and quickly position the camera, seemingly without thinking about it. If you asked them about that position, it might take them a minute to stammer out a response.

Because the vocabulary is ingrained, good cinematographers and videographers think in composed shots. They subconsciously frame things properly, seek out good light and know upon walking into a room where the camera must be placed to avoid distracting background items and still get two actors' faces in the frame. The more techniques you learn, and the more you learn to identify them, the more they will become part of your creative subconscious process.